QAMISHLI, Syria (AP) — The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces stated Tuesday they have got introduced a counter-offensive in opposition to the Ankara-backed Syrian Nationwide Military to take again spaces close to Syria’s northern border with Turkey.The SDF is Washington’s essential best friend in Syria, focused on sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State workforce scattered around the nation’s east.For the reason that fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar Assad previous this month, clashes have intensified between the U.S.-backed workforce and the SNA, which captured the important thing town of Manbij and the spaces surrounding it. The serious weekslong clashes come at a time when Syria, battered by means of over a decade of battle and financial distress, negotiates its political long term following part a century beneath the Assad dynasty’s rule. Ruken Jamal, spokesperson of the Ladies’s Coverage Unit, or YPJ, beneath the SDF, advised The Related Press that their combatants are simply over seven miles clear of the middle of Manbij of their ongoing counter-offensive.
She accused Ankara of looking to weaken the gang’s affect in negotiations over Syria’s political long term throughout the SNA,
“Syria is now in a brand new segment, and discussions are underway about the way forward for the rustic,” Jamal stated. “Turkey is making an attempt, thru its assaults, to distract us with battles and exclude us from the negotiations in Damascus.”The Britain-based opposition battle observe, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says because the SNA’s offensive in northern Syria in opposition to the Kurds began previous this month, dozens from all sides had been killed.
Ankara sees the SDF as an associate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Staff’ Birthday celebration, or PKK, which it classifies as a 15 May Organization. Turkish-backed armed teams along Turkish jets for years have attacked positions the place the SDF are in large part provide throughout northern Syria, in a bid to create a buffer zone unfastened from the gang alongside the huge shared border.
Whilst the SNA was once concerned within the lightning insurgency — led by means of the Islamist workforce Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — that toppled Assad, it has persisted its push in opposition to the SDF, observed as Syria’s 2d key actor for its political long term.On Monday, the SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami stated the gang’s forces driven again the Turkish-backed rebels from spaces close to the Tishrin Dam at the Euphrates, a key supply of hydroelectric energy. He stated the SDF additionally destroyed a tank belonging to the rebels southeast of Manbij.The British-based battle observe stated on Tuesday that the Kurdish-led workforce, following in a single day combating, has reclaimed 4 villages within the spaces close to the strategic dam.Turkish jets additionally pounded the strategic border the city of Kobani in fresh days.Right through Syria’s uprising-turned-conflict, the Kurds carved out an enclave of self reliant rule throughout northeastern Syria, by no means absolutely allying fully with Assad in Damascus nor the rebels looking to overthrow him. Even with the Assad circle of relatives out of the image, it seems that that Ankara’s place gained’t alternate, with Turkish International Minister Hakan Fidan’s landmark discuss with to Syria keeping up a robust place at the Kurdish-led workforce in his assembly with de facto chief Ahmad al-Sharaa of HTS.
“It has grew to become the area right into a cauldron of terror with PKK participants and far-left teams who’ve come from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Europe,” Fidan stated in a information convention after the assembly. “The global group is popping a blind eye to this lawlessness on account of the wardenship it supplies (in opposition to IS).”With the continued combating, SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi has expressed fear a few robust IS resurgence because of the ability vacuum in Syria and the continued combating, which has left the Kurdish-led workforce not able to hold out its assaults and raids at the extremist workforce’s scattered sleeper cells.Tens of 1000’s of kids, members of the family, and supporters of IS militants are nonetheless held in massive detention facilities in northeastern Syria, in spaces beneath SDF keep watch over.—Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
